Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill-country of Ephraim. And his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, and Ephraimite.

And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of LORD.

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to LORD, and wept much.

Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

And she said, Let thy handmaid find favor in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and ate, and her countenance was no more [sad].

And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of LORD in Shiloh, and the child was young.

And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand,

And the sin of the young men was very great before LORD, for the men despised the offering of LORD.

And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, LORD give thee seed by this woman for the petition which was asked of LORD. And they went to their own home.

Now Eli was very old. And he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tent of meeting.

And the child Samuel served LORD before Eli. And the word of LORD was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.

And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim so that he could not see),

and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down in the temple of LORD where the ark of God was,

Now Samuel did not yet know LORD, neither was the word of LORD yet revealed to him.

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of LORD. And Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision.

And Samuel grew, and LORD was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.

And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of LORD.

And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand men.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.

And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see.

And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate. And his neck broke, and he died, for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty year

And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth, fo

And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

And when those of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

And when they arose early on the morning of the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of LORD, and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [lay] cut off upon the threshold. Only [the

But the hand of LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders of it.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for his hand is hard upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of LORD was against the city with a very great discomfiture. And he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out upon them.

They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people. For there was a deadly dis

And the ark of LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

Then they said, What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, [according to] the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on you all, an

And watch. If it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he has done to us this great evil, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and stood there where there was a great stone. And they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt-offering to LORD.

And the Levites took down the ark of LORD, and the coffer that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same d

And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiriath-jearim, that the time was long, for it was twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after LORD.

And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel, but LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten down before

So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Israel, and the hand of LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath. And Israel delivered the border of it out of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amori

And his return was to Ramah, for his house was there. And there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to LORD.

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

Now the name of his first-born was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.

And he had a son whose name was Saul, a young man and fine looking. And there was not among the sons of Israel a man better looking than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.

When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave off caring for the donkeys, and be anxious for us.

(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer, for he who is now called a Prophet was formerly called a Seer.)

Then Saul said to his servant, Well said. Come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was.

And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And [Samuel] said, Behold, that which has been reserved! Set it before thee and eat, because it has been kept for thee to the appointed time, for I

And it was so, that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all those signs came to pass that day.

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of the Matrites was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken. But when they sought him, he could not be found.

And they ran and fetched him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

And the Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was greatly kindled.

And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it came to pass, that those who remaine

And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, when LORD your God was your king.

But if ye will not hearken to the voice of LORD, but rebel against the commandment of LORD, then the hand of LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.

Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Israel,

And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead, but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make for them swords or spears,

So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was found.

and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

And between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side. And the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh

And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.

And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled. And the earth quaked, so there was an exceedingly great trembling.

And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring here the ark of God. For the ark of God was [there] at that time with the sons of Israel.

And it came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased. And Saul said to the priest, Withdraw thy hand.

And Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle. And, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, [and there was] a very great discomfiture.

And all the people came into the forest, and there was honey upon the ground.

But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath, therefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.

And Saul built an altar to LORD; the same was the first altar that he built to LORD.

For, as LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.

And Saul said, Cast [lots] between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.

Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. And, lo, I must die.

And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

And there was great war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. But everything that was vile and refuse, that they dest

I regret that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry, and he cried out to LORD all night.

And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set up for him a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.

Why then did thou not obey the voice of LORD, but did fly upon the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of LORD?

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and fine to look upon. And LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he.

And it came to pass, when the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them.

And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail. And the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse. And he had eight sons, and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken [in years] among men.

And David was the youngest, and the three eldest followed Saul.

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why have thou come down? And with whom have thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and t

And David said to Saul, Thy servant was keeping his father's sheep, and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet. And his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.

Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath of it, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.